Catching Up With JELEEL! Before His Made In America Performance: Lessons Learned, Destiny, & His Future
credit: IG/ryan.lockard
Walking down Benjamin Franklin Parkway early Saturday afternoon, I was prepping for Philadelphia’s biggest music event of the year: Made In America. One artist piqued my interest as soon as I saw the lineup; JELEEL!, a name that’s become unavoidable between the music, live stunts, monumental figure, and contagious energy. As I’m on my way to meet him for a quick interview, I see a larger-than-life person in the distance with kids flocking him for pictures and daps. That must be JELEEL!. As I get closer, it is indeed. “That’s JELEEL!;” fans scream in a rush to meet one of their new favorites. One fan claims, “I came all the way here just to see you,” before snapping a bicep flexing picture with him. I witnessed firsthand that this is no internet facade or “viral moment.” The impact and fans are real and translate state-to-state. As more concertgoers entered the gates on the parkway, attention grew on JELEEL!, so much so that he had to take a quick exit behind a security gate. I was soon escorted in for a conversation with the rising star.
What encouraged you to pursue music?
JELEEL!: “I wanted to be an athlete and that didn’t work out. But everything happens for a reason. I always loved listening to music and felt like I was musically inclined cause I used to dance and stuff. So I just tried music and fell in love with it. I felt like it was what God wanted me to do.”
You say ‘it was written’ a lot - when was the moment you realized this was your destiny?
JELEEL!: “When I made my first song. That was confirmation, I felt it. I found my purpose. And the purpose isn’t just to make music, the purpose is to help the greater good. I’m helping people with my energy. Real raw energy.”
What moment are you most proud of so far in this journey?
JELEEL!: “I’m always trying to outdo myself. Just getting “DIVE IN!” to where I wanted it to be, you know. I promoted that song for a whole year. Blowing up independently and then signing to a label, that’s what I’m most proud of.”
What’s the most important lesson you learned in your struggle?
JELEEL!: “To pray. And to stop thinking and just dive in head first. No pun intended. Like just go head first, who cares. No time to overthink. In this industry you gotta know who you are. I know who I am.”
What’s the first CD you ever owned?
JELEEL!: “Get Rich Or Die Trying.”
Will we ever see JELEEL! on a UFC card?
JELEEL!: “Hey…if God wills it.”
Who would you fight?
JELEEL!: “Whoever God wills. Whoever. [laughs] I’m excited.”
What does the future look like for JELEEL! in the music industry?
JELEEL!: “I feel like JELEEL!’s gonna be a worldwide artist. It’s not just gonna be America. Europe, Asia, Africa; I’m Nigerian, definitely want to go back to the motherland. But music-wise, JELEEL!’s gonna take over. They’ll see soon. It’s all in God’s plan.”